Being Deaf in China

As I wrote in a previous blog post, I had to work last Saturday (30th September) in Wuhan before beginning a week long holiday for the Chinese National Day. As it is a very busy time for Chinese people travelling I was unable to get a ticket for the train until Monday the 2nd of October.

So once again I found myself on the train, it was packed just as I expected it to be over a holiday period. I enjoy travelling on the train as I sometimes meet some interesting people. This particular journey I met a young couple travelling to their home city for the holiday, I noticed a difference about them in that they were using sign language to communicate, they were just two of the millions of Chinese that are deaf. They tried communicating with me and we were able to have a conversation of sorts as the train progressed on its way. I did notice that none of the other passengers were making an effort to communicate with them; they were very much in their own little world of isolation due to their inability to hear.

So I later did a little research on the issue of deafness in China, I have on occasion in the past seen deaf students asking for donations to assist them in continuing their studies. In China any form of disability usually means a life of hardship and suffering, usually begging on the streets, there are schools for the deaf, usually only in the large cities and spaces are limited. The system used for sign language in China was developed in the late 19th century by an Englishwoman in Shanghai; this system largely based on the English sign language was first used in Shanghai by the British trade zone that was in operation across several Chinese port cities at that time.

There are more than 21 million Chinese people registered as deaf within China, there are no figures available for the total number of deaf people within the country, it is probably much higher than that.

On the Tuesday morning in Yingtan, I had previously been asked to visit a language school to discuss a proposal they had for me, so along I went to see them. Over the past few weeks I have been working at a school in Yingtan on the weekends, in an effort to boost student numbers we had taken the classes outside so more people could see the classes and hopefully gain an increase in the number of students. Well the school that had the proposal for me had seen a recording of me doing an outside class and wanted to chat with me.

I have previously talked with them, but they said they were a new school and would not have sufficient student numbers to employ me until at least next summer, so I was surprised by their message and interested to hear what they had to say. They want me to work for them from next summer, but the outside classes are taking potential business away from their school. They asked me to stop doing the outside classes and to even stop working at the school I am currently working in. I politely told them that I intend to continue as I am and would continue for the foreseeable future as long as I see potential in increasing my class sizes and numbers. If they want me to stop, then offer me a better deal than I am currently on and I will consider it. Their final offer was better than I am on now, but not to start until next summer, the proviso from them was I am to stop working at the school I am currently working at in January/February then begin with them in June. That is still four or five months without any extra income. Their reasoning on this is because Yingtan is a small city and I will be associated with the school I currently work at, they need a break between my working at the two schools for that association to be forgotten.

I like working and being in China, but there are some aspects of working that I do not like, this was one of them. They tried to put it across as them doing me a favour by offering me this job, but I already have a job and am doing well at it, so unless the circumstances change or the salary is improved I do not see the benefit in my moving, especially if I am not working for a few months.

I fully expect this story to rumble on over the coming months. I will keep you posted.

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